1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to monitoring systems, and more particularly, to a monitoring system for detecting the operating status of a cooling fan installed in a computer system.
2. Description of Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is computer systems which have become indispensable to modern life. A computer system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Computer systems have adapted over time to handle an increasing number of tasks with processors and other components that operate at increased cycles to perform increased numbers of calculations in reduced time. One problem that arises with more powerful processing components is that such components tend to create increased amounts of excess heat.
In order to ensure proper operation of the components, a computer system typically incorporates cooling equipment, such as a cooling fan that maintains a flow of external air through the computer system chassis and over the processing components. To maintain adequate cooling airflow, computer system manufacturers generally layout components within the chassis to effectively transfer excess heat while also attempting to meet other design constraints. As excess heat built up in a computer system may lead to computer breakdown or even damages to the electronic components of a computer system, it appears critical for the industry to come up with an effective heat dissipation system in high-speed operation of computer systems.
Currently, for fan speed measurement it is primarily adopted by manufacturers to use infrared photo reflex type rotation speed measuring technique, such as FOTEK mirror reflex, MG-2MX devices, and a touch speed measurement digital tachometer, such as PH-200LC of SHIMPO and so on, as well as non-touch flash frequency rotation speed measurement (digital stroboscope) such as DT-2239A. For instance, a non-touch flash frequency meter is adapted to monitor a high-speed rotating object (such as a fan), by adjusting the flash frequency of a flash frequency meter to simulate or even synchro the rotating speed of the objected being tested. Under the snychro condition, an object being tested rotates in high speeds would appear to rotate slowly or even in an idle state. This temporary vision-suspending phenomenon allows human naked eyes to estimate or range the operating status of a high-speed rotating object easily. However, the foregoing speed measuring techniques range only about 100-1000 rpm (round per minute), which is adversely narrow to apply to wider ranges of speed measurements, moreover, the foregoing techniques are unable to measure the working currents of a fan in operation.
Therefore, there exists a need to provide an effective monitoring system for detecting the operating status of a cooling fan, which can overcome the drawbacks of the inability to measure electric currents of a working fan, as well as the limited rotating speed measuring ranges as encountered in prior art techniques.